[New techniques for umbilical cord blood transplantation]

Umbilical cord blood is an alternative hematopoietic stem cell source for treatment of hematological diseases that can be cured by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Since the first case of umbilical cord blood transplantation performed successfully in a child with Fanconi anemia, the field of umbilical cord blood transplantation has grown exponentially, and a great progress has been made worldwide in the treatment of children with malignant hematological diseases, including some congenital metabolic disorders. Umbilical cord blood transplantation was initially intended only in the treatment of pediatric patients, given the small volume collected and the low hematopoietic stem cell dose infused. In recent years, the application of new techniques for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has greatly improved the outcomes of umbilical cord blood transplantation in adult patients. In this review article, we summarize the latest techniques for umbilical cord blood transplantation.